Cognitive Theories of Memory Flashcards
What are two definitions of memory?
1 - Maintaining information over time.
2 - The mental process of acquiring and retaining information for later retrieval
What is implicit/explicit memory?
These are definitions from a set of memory tasks, they do not measure cognitive theory
Define implicit memory.
A notion that if you have been exposed to something in a particular setting before, it will affect your subsequent performance
Define explicit memory.
The notion of actively trying to learn something
What is procedural/declarative memory?
Theories derived from dissociable cognitive theories, tests developed to test these theories
Define procedural memory.
The storage of skills and procedures, very important in motor performance
What is procedural memory supported by?
Memory systems that are independent of the hippocampal formation
Define declarative memory
Accumulation of facts/data derived from learning experiences
What is the declarative system an outcome of?
Processing by various processing systems, which feed the hippocampal formation, due to relational nature of hippocampal formation, declarative memory is relational
What does activation of declarative memory cause?
Activation of related memories
What are the four models of memory?
(Serial models):
1- Atkinson-shiffrin model
2- Levels of processing model
3- Tulving’s model
(Parallel model)
1- Parallel distributed processing model
What is sensory memory in the Atkinson-Shiffrin model?
storage of brief sensory events, such as sights, sounds, and tastes. It is very brief storage—up to a couple of seconds.
What is short-term/working memory in Atkinson-Shiffrin model?
A temporary storage system that processes incoming sensory memory information. Short-term memory takes information from sensory memory and sometimes connects that memory to something already in long-term memory. Short-term memory storage lasts about 20 seconds.
What is long-term memory in Atkinson-Shiffrin model?
Long-term memory is the continuous storage of information. Unlike short-term/working memory, the storage capacity of LTM has no limits. It encompasses all the things you can remember that happened more than just a few minutes ago to all of the things that you can remember that happened days, weeks, and years ago.
What did Craig and Lockhart’s levels of processing model say about information retention?
Information retained according to level of processing it has undergone, information processed at a shallow level will not be as well retained as information processed at a deep level
What did Craig and Lockhart’s levels of processing model say about rehearsal of information?
Type of rehearsal that is undertaken determines whether it is shallowly or deeply processed, maintenance rehearsal is when information is repetitively presented (shallow), elaborative rehearsal is when information is semantically linked with already known information (deep)
What is Tulving’s model of memory?
Splitting of LTM into three systems; procedural, episodic, semantic
What is the parallel distributed processing model?
A model positing that memory is the activation of connections in different areas (distribution) simultaneously (parallel)
What does the pattern of activation result in (parallel distributed processing)?
Memory/knowledge
What does the parallel distributed processing model say about learning?
Learning is the when the strength of connections between relevant sites is changed
Which models are best for the study of amnesia?
Serial models
What is episodic memory?
Memories allowing an individual to re-experience, through autonoetic awareness, previous experiences and to project similar experiences into the future, conscious recollection of one’s personal past
What is autonoetic awareness?
Autonoetic awareness is a highly personalised feeling of (re)experiencing oneself in the autobiographical past or present
What is semantic memory?
Knowledge memory, memory system that makes possible acquisition, retention, and use of factual information in the broadest sense, no autonoetic awareness of the past
What did Squire and Zola argue about the semantic-episodic dissociation?
Declarative memory is dependent on the hippocampal system, damage results in equal impairment to episodic and semantic memories, operate in parallel
What was evidence for Squire and Zola’s claim?
Amnesic patients have equal difficulties with ‘event’ and ‘fact’ memory
What did Tulving argue about the semantic-episodic dissociation?
Episodic memory and semantic memory share many features but are not parallel systems
What is Tulving’s serial parallel independent (SPI) hypothesis?
Encoding into episodic memory relies on semantic system, encoding into semantic memory relies on semantic system, episodic memory is a ‘unique’ extension of semantic memory, retrieval is independent, can be supported by either system or both
According to Tulving what happens if semantic memory is damaged?
Episodic memory is also damaged, but the process does not occur vice versa
What study did Vargha-Khaden et al. (1997) conduct?
Seminal study examining 3 patients who had suffered very early bilateral media temporal lobe injury
What was the neuropathology of all 3 cases in Vargha-Khaden et al. (1997)’s study?
Assessed with MRI and spectroscopy, all have abnormally small (damaged) bilateral hippocampi, all have relatively intact extra-hippocampal temporal lobes
What did all 3 cases have in Vargha-Khaden et al. (1997)’s study?
Significantly impaired memory function, relative to intellectual capacity
What everyday memory deficits did they have in Vargha-Khaden et al. (1997)’s study?
Spatial memory, temporal memory and episodic memory
How were all 3’s educational achievement in Vargha-Khaden et al. (1997)’s study?
Have all faired relatively well in mainstream education, educational achievement is commensurate with IQ
How was their semantic memory in Vargha-Khaden et al. (1997)’s study?
Have factual knowledge that is in the normal range, have acquired extensive semantic information
What did this conclusion about semantic memory in Vargha-Khaden et al. (1997)’s study imply?
Intact semantic memory and impaired episodic memory, fit with Tulving’s model
What has been found with semantic dementia patients in Vargha-Khaden et al. (1997)’s study?
Have shown damaged semantic memory but intact episodic memory
